Apparatus for handling ore and the like



c. E. DAVIS APPARATUS FOR FIANDLING ORE AND THE LIKE Original Filed Oct.10, 1921 BYJMa A T TOR/VEY I c. E. DAVIS APPARATUS FORflANbLING ORE ANDTHE LIKE Original Filed Oct 10, 1921 2SheetS-Sheat 2 11v VENTOR,"

- BY: Max/281 1 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1924..

UNITED STAES ATENT orric.

CHARLES E. DAVIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GOODMAN MANUFACTUR-ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ORE AND-THE LIKE.

Application filed. October 10, 1921, Serial No. 506,712.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. DAvits a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented an Improvement in Apparatus for Handling Ore and the like, ofwhich the following is a spec1- fication.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for handling ore andthe like and has for its principal object to provide an improvedapparatus for transporting loose material from one place to another asfor instance in a mine.

In two prior applications for U. S. Let ters Patent, bearing Serial No.882,696, filed May 20, 1920, now Patent 1,462,688, July 24, 1923, andSerial No. 460,865, filed April 13, 1921, now Patent 1,4QL522, Aug. 1 1,1923, I have disclosed devices of the class above described comprising ascraper and a movable frame adapted to form a support about which saidscraper is guided. In the present application, I utilize the samegeneral principles of CiOllStIUCtlDl'l and operation as described 1n theabovementioned applications, but provide means co-acting with thescraper for automatically advancing the guiding frametoward the materialto be transported, as Wlll hereinafter more fully appear. My inventionmay best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whch Figure 1 is a top plan view of a guiding frame constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the frame shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a topplan View showing the apparatus in working position in amine.

Fig. 4: is a side vlew of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3. I

Figs. 5 and 6 are detall views of the ratchet mechanism forautomatically advancing the frame.

In the embodiment of my inventlon 11- lustrated, the apparatus isadapted for use in mining operations in which loose material is to betransported from the working face or place from which the materlal isbeing mined, to a place where it may be loaded on mine cars, andcomprises a scraper I adapted to be moved on the mine bottom by means offlexible draft cables Renewed June 5, 1924.

2 and 3, and about a guiding frame 4 fixed on the mine bottom inposition to form a bearing for one side of the scraper as the latter isadvanced into the loose material. The frame 4 is held in place by meansof a guiding device such as a pair of mine jacks 5 and 5 of the usualtype which are inserted in a longitudinally disposed slot 6 formed inthe frame. The jacks 5 and 5 are spaced apart so as to guide themovement of the frame in a longitudinal direction.

The frame 1 comprises an'arcuate shield or hearing member 12, a pair oflongitudinally disposed beams 13, 13, a rear end member 14, and suitableside frame members 15 and 16 connecting the shield 12 with the rear endmember 141. The longitudinally disposed beams 13,-13, form the slot 6 inwhich the guide members 5 and 5 are retained. The forward or bearingface of the shield 12 is curved in a horizontal plane as shown in thedrawings, and is provided with a centrally disposed recess or groove 17extending around the face thereof, a substantially vertical hearingsurface 18 above said recess, and an outwardly and downwardly extendingbearing surface 19 below said recess. The arrangement of the recess 17and bearing surfaces 18 and 19 is clearly shown in cross-section in 2. Aplurality of sheaves 20, 20, are mounted about the shield and havingtheir peripheries extending into the recess 17 The arrangement is suchthat the draft ropes 2 and 3 are adapted to engage within the recess 17and bear on the sheaves 20, 20. In case the draft ropes are allowed toslacken and fall to the ground, they will automatically be movedupwardly along the inclined face 7 19 and into the recess 17, as soon astension is applied to the ropes during the operation of the apparatus.

The scraper 1 is preferably of the bottomless type. The specificconstruction of scraper illustrated herewith forms the subject-matter ofa separate application filed by me October 10, 1921, Serial No. 506,711,and is provided with an inner side 1* having a plurality ofanti-friction bearin members 1 adapted to engage the head frame aboveand below the recess 17 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Otherhis suitable forms of scraper may be used if desired.

Referring now to the means for automatically advancing the frame 4, Iprovide a ratchet mechanism 8 preferably mounted on the rear end member14 of the frame and having suitable connection with the fixed guidemembers and 5 for moving the frame longitudinally toward the material tobe transported. In the embodimentillustrated, this ratchet mechanismcomprises a ratchet wheel 9 carried on a vertically disposed shaft 10and operatively connected to a winding drum 11. A draft rope 11 is woundon the drum 11 and has its forward end connected to one of the guidingjacks such as the forward jack 5, as shown in Figs. 3 and il. Theratchet wheel 9 is operated by an arm 21 extending laterally from theframe at a point intermediate the forward shield 12 and the rear endmember 14. Said arm is pivotally connected to one of the main framemembers 13 by means of a bolt 22 mounted on said frame and passing thruan arcuate slot 23 formed in the inner end of said arm. The purpose ofthis slot will be hereinafter described. A connecting bar 24: ispivotally attached to the arm 21, and extends rearwardly to a rockingarm 25 pivotally journalled on the shaft 10 and carrying thereon a dog,26 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel 9. A second dog 27 is mountedon. the frame to prevent rotation of the ratchet wheel 9 while theoperating dog 26 is disengaged from said ratchet wheel. Said dogs may bemaintained in operative engagement with the ratchet wheel by anysuitable means, such as pivoted latches 28, 28, (see Figs. 5 and 6)adapted to engage a lug 28 on each of said dogs and held in place bygravity. The said dogs may be released when desired by rocking thelatches on their axes, as shown in dotted lines'in Fig. 6.

Means for maintaining the arm 21 forwardly in operative positioncomprises a weighted crank arm 30 pivot-ally mounted on a. suitablesupport 31 on the interior of the shield 1.2. Said crank arm 30 isconnected to the arm 21 by a tie-bar 32 having pivotal engagement on thearm 21 intermediate the bar 24 and the bearing bolt 22 forming the mainpivotal connection of said arm. A suitable stop 33 is mounted on therear end of the scraper 1 to engage the outer end of arm 21 as thescraper is moved rearwardly about the head frame 4 as indicated in Fig.3.

Means are also provided for actuating the ratchet mechanism 8 by hand,which comprises a vertically movable pivoted arm 35 having a downwardlyextending latch member 36 adapted to engage a notched wheel 37 carriedon the winding drum shaft 10. The arm 35 is adapted to be manual-- lyoperated by a. handle 38 which is moved upwardly to bring the latch 36into engagement with the notched wheel 37 and operate the winding drum11 independently of the automatic actuating mechanism above described.

The operation, of the device above described is as follows:

The scraper 1 is reciprocably operated by means of the head rope 2 andtail rope 3, and gathers its load while being movel forwardly about theguiding frame 4, and transports its load to a suitable loading chute orthe like, at a distance from the frame. As each load is gathered, thepile of material is diminished, so that it is nec essary to advance theframe 1 longitudinally from time to time. This is accomplished by movingthe scrape-r rearwardly about the frame 4 to bring stop 33 thereon intoengagement with the arm 21, connected with the ratchet mechanism 8.Continued pull on the tail rope 3 swings said arm. reaiwvardly,fulcrumed on bolt 22, and rotates the reel:- ing arm 25 and dog 26carried thereby, to actuate ratchet wheel 9 and the winding drum 11. Aportion of cable 11 is thus wound in, and being connected to the fixedjack 5, the frame is moved forwardly along the ground, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 3. As soon as the scraper is moved forwardly, theweighted arm 30 actuated by gravity serves to return the operating a rm21 and rocking arm 25 connected therewith into its initial operatingposition. means of this arrangement the frame is brought nearer thematerial to be gathered. It is oft-en undesirable to advance the frameevery time the scraper is loaded, and in such case, the scraper may bestopped before it comes into engagement with the operating arm 21.

The purpose of the curved slot 23 on the inner end of arm 21 is to allowsaid. arm to be swung out of the path of the scraper when desired. Asalready described, the tie-b-ar 32 associated with weighted arm 30 ispivotally conneced to the operating arm 21 intermediate the bearing bolt22 and bar 24; associated with the ratchet mechanism. With thearrangement described, the outer end of the arm 21 may be swungforwardly from its normal position shown in Fig, 1 with said armfulcrumed on bar 24. The curved slot 23 is designed so as to permit theinner end of the operating arm to swing rearwardly a sufficient distanceto allow said arm to be moved out of the path of the scraper. Thisfeature is advantageous when the scraper is accidently moved rearwardlybeyond the operating arm, in which event it may readi ly pass said armon its forward movemen Although I have shown and described til) one formin which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that manyother means may be employed for accomplishing the same results withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention. I do not thereforewish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific constructionillustrated herein excepting as specificially limited in the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame adapted to be fixedagainst lateral movement, and having a curved lateral bearing portionprovided with a horizontally disposed groove, and an outwardly andclownwardly inclined bearing surface below said recess.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame adapted to be fixedagainst lateral movement, and having a curved lateral bearing port-ionprovided with a horizontally disposed groove, and a plurality of sheaveshaving their peripheries extending into said recess.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame adapted to be fixedagainst lateral movement, and having a curved lateral hearing portionprovided with a horizontally disposed groove, a plurality of sheaveshaving their peripheries extending into said recess, and an outwardlyand downwardly inclined bearing surface below said recess.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame having a lateralbearing portion, a support for said frame adapted to be fixed againstlateral movement, a reciprocablyoperated conveyor device including ascraper, and means on said frame coacting with said conveyor device formoving said frame with respect to its support.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, an elongated frame having acurved forward portion, a support for said frame adapted to be fixedagainst lateral movement, a reciprocably-operated conveyor deviceincluding a scraper adapted to have lateral engagement with said curvedportion, an actuating memher extending laterally beyond said frame in.position to be engaged by a stop carried by said conveyor device andmeans associated with said actuating member for advancing said framelongitudinally with respect to its support.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame, a support for saidframe adapted to be fixed against lateral movement, areciprocably-operated scraper, and means on said frame co-acting withsaid scraper for moving said frame with respect to its support.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame having a lateralbearing portion, a support for said frame adapted to be fixed againstlateral movement, a reciprocablyoperated conveyor device including ascraper, means on said frame co-acting with said conveyor device formoving said frame with respect to its support comprising a pivoted arm,and ratchet mechanism connected with said arm, having means operativelyconnecting said ratchet mechanism with said support.

8. In a device of the class described, an elongated frame having acurved forward portion, a support adapted to be fixed against lateralmovemnt, a conveyor device including a. scraper adapted to have lateralengagement with said frame, means co-acting with said conveyor devicefor moving said frame longitudinally with respect to its support, saidmeans comprising an arm normally extending laterally from said frameinto the path of movement of said scraper, ratchet mechanism adapted tobe actuated by rearward movement of said arm from its normal position,and means permitting forward movement of said arm from its normalposition whereby it may be moved out of the path of movement of thescraper.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, thisseventh day of October, 1921.

CHARLES E. DAVIS.

